David Parirenyatwa

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David Parirenyatwa is a medical practioner and the former Minister of Health and Child Care. He is a politician affiliated to the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party. InSeptember of 2018 Parirenyatwa was arrested over allegations of criminal abuse of office but was granted $500 bail.Parirenyatwa’s trial for criminal abuse of office was scheduled to start on November 20 , 2018.

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Background

He was born on the 2nd of August 1950. He was little known until August 2002 when he became Minister of Health, replacing Timothy Stamps who was ill at that time. The Parirenyatwa group of hospitals were named after his father Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa who fought in the liberation struggle. He is married to Choice Parirenyatwa.

Cholera Outbreak

In 2007, a cholera outbreak hit Harare starting from the Mabvuku-Tafara suburbs. The outbreak reportedly caused the death of about 400 people in its early stages. Parirenyatwa and his ministry were blamed for the failing to provide adequate and safe water to Harare residents. The situation worsened with Parirenyatwa led ministry recording 11 735 cholera cases with 484 deaths between August and December 2008.[1]
The outbreak was reported to have claimed at least 4,000 people between 2008 and 2009 when water treatment and sanitation deteriorated.[2] Parirenyatwa declared the outbreak a National Disaster and called for International Aid in December 2008. Dr Parirenyatwa was quoted as citing the economic meltdown as the cause of the outbreak. The inflation at the time was reported to be over 231 million percent. Parirenyatwa was further reported indicating that his ministry could not provide enough drinking water and advised the public to avoid shaking hands at funerals. A popular act in the Zimbabwe culture.[3]

HIV/AIDS Rate Reduction

Dr Parirenyatwa made efforts to curb the HIV and AIDS disease through providing Antiretroviral Therapy and encouraging the public to get tested. This resulted in the decline of the pandemic during his tenure in 2007. Through his ministry, Zimbabwe became the leading country in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in terms of the prevention of AIDS. The prevalence rate declined from 18,1% in 2006 to 15,6% in 2007- the best ever decline recorded in the history of the country.[4] On the 5th of September 2008 he was elected Vice President of the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for Africa.[5]

Controversy

Corruption

In October 2015, Parirenyatwa was unprocedurally paid US $100,000 by Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) for his services as a medical doctor. It was revealed that Parirenyatwa was well above his claims of patients he had seen at his surgery, which only amounted to $23 000. The minister was therefore overpaid $77,000 for services not rendered to the society.[6]
Parirenyatwa did not deny that he was overpaid. He said: “This money would then be recovered through future claims to the insurer by the service provider. It is a common norm in the medical industry." He did not, however, explain why other doctors were owed huge amounts of money by PSMAS for services actually provided. As Parirenyatwa was Minister of Health at the time it is considered that he misused his position to gain trust and use this unfair advantage not only over PSMAS but also over his peers in the medical profession.[7]

Threats to kill opposition supporters

In 2007, Parirenyatwa allegedly promised to kill opposition supporters unless they voted for Robert Mugabe in the controversial June 27, 2008, Presidential election run-off. Those opposition supporters who did not vote for Mugabe in the first round were allegedly forced to attend Zanu- PF meetings were they were beaten.[8]

Unlawfull Dismissal of Employees Lawsuit

In February 2018 20 student nurses at Bonda Mission Hospital who reportedly had their contracts terminated after a month of receipt of admission letters sued Parirenyatwa as the Minister, Bonda Mission Hospital and the provincial medical director for Manicaland. Dr. Mafaune.
The matter was applied to the High Court of Zimbabwe.